Apparatus for removing saccharin or other impurities from all kinds of liquids.



No. 540,528. Patented Jan. 2, I900. J. T. BENNETT. APPARATUS FORREMOVING SAGCHARIN OR OTHER IWIPURITIES FROM ALL KINDS OF LIQUIDS.

(Application filed June 9, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet I.

d Inven 7".

John Ramasfiennett,

771's ai'iorng.

THE wims PEYERS co. Puonnn'ua, wAsmucwu. o c.

No. 640,528. Patented Jan. 2,' I900. J. T. BENNETT. APPARATUS FORREMDVHNG SABCHARIN OR OTHER IMPURITIES FROM ALL KINDS OF LIQUIDS.

(Application filed June 9, 1899.)

(A0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Invenior: J07m T/wmasfimneizj Frames Fn'rniv'r Optics,

JOHN THOMAS BENNETT, OF CAPE TOWVN, CAPE COLONY.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SACCHARIN OR OTHER IMPURITIES FROM ALL KINDS OFLIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,528, dated January2, 1900.

Application filed June 9,1899. Serial No. 719,989. (No model.)

To all 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN THOMAS BENNETT, hotel proprietor, of Wynberg,Cape Town, Cape Colony, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Purifying Liquids, (for which I have obtained LettersPatent in Great Britain, No. 24:,741, dated November 23, 1898; inFrance, No. 284,839, dated January 11, 1899; in Belgium, No. H0549,dated January 16, 1899; applications still pending in Germany, datedJanuary 12, 1899, and in Spain, dated March 1, 1899,) of which inventionthe following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for removing saccharinor other impurities from all kinds of liquids.

My chief object is to remove the saccharin, fusel-oil, sediment, andother similar impuritiesfrom wines and spirits; but my invention canalso be applied in the purifying treatment of other liquids.

In a previous patent, No. %,927, dated May 31, 1598, I have described aprocess and apparatus for purifying wines and spirits, and my presentinvention is a development and an improved form of the apparatus thereindescribed.

By means of my present invention I am enabled to treat liquids in a moreexpeditious and more efficacious manner, the results being even superiorto those previously attained.

The improvements consist in forcing the lower thickened portion of theliquid under treatment, which portion contains the sediment andimpurities which are being precipitated from the liquid, into theabsorbent Wa ter-bath, supporting the liquid treated, by means of apiston or plunger of a special construction.

The improved apparatus consists of a funnel-shaped hopper or vesselfitted with a number of concentric removable cones delivering ordirecting the sediment which is settling toward the bottom of thecontainer into a central path or descent and forcing this settlingportion of the liquid into the pipe leading to the water-bath below bymeans of a plunger specially constructed and fitted for this purpose.

Upon the accompanying sheet of drawings 1 have shown my improvedapparatus for purifying all kinds of alcoholic and other liquids.

Figure 1 is asectional elevation of the new form of apparatus. Fig. 2 isan enlarged View of theair-tight gland, and Fig. 3 is a simi-= lar viewof an alternative plunger employed.

On the drawings, A is a funnel-shaped vessel or hopper fitted within anysuitable stand over a water-bath B. It is provided with an air-tight lid0 and a cook or union D, through which a pipe E can deliver into thehopper the alcoholic or other liquid to be treated. It is also furnishedwith an air-cock c and a number of removable abruptly-cone-shaped chutesa a a arranged concentrically one above another and secured in positionby the converging Walls of the hopper A. The waterbath B is preferablyfurnished with a cover or lid for the purpose of preventing the waterfrom being contaminated by the introduction of foreign matter orotherwise affected by impurities suspended in the outer atmosphere.These removable chutesct 0: ct leave a central path or space within thehopper, within which a plunger or collecting-chamber F, suitablyjournaledin the lid of the hopper, can be raised or depressed. Theplunger F is shown secured to a rod f, passing through an air-tightgland G, (shown on Fig. 2,) and can be screwed up or down by means of ahand-wheel g and supporting-bracket g, as shown on Fig. 1, or by anyother similar device.

The base of the hopper A communicates with and delivers into thewater-bath B by means of a neck or pipe ILwhich latter may, if desired,be fitted with a stop-valve; but this is no longer necessary to myprocess. Near the base of the funnel A and immediately above the neck orpipe 11 is a draw-01f valve 7b.

The water-bath B, into which the sediment and other impurities areprecipitated and forced from the vessel A, is exposed to atmosphericpressure and is furnished with a ball-cock b, admitting water thereto, atrans parent panel I), and an outlet-pipe or a delivery-cock 76. Thewater in the bath B is kept to a constant level above the outlet of theneck or pipe H by means of the ball-cock b, as in ordinary cisterns, anda continual flow of water through the bath B can be insured by means ofthe cocks band 70 carrying off heavy matters and facilitatingabsorption.

The plunger F, which is made of wood or other suitable material, may beof a fixed pattern, as shown on Fig. 1, having a tapered upper portionand a cone-shaped lower portion, (these cones being placed base tobase,) which lower portion is hollowed out underneath, so as to give aconcave shape. It is rigidly secured to the rod f by, any suitablemeans. The plunger F can be screwed down so as to fit the'bore of theneck or pipe H, and thus cut off or separate the vessel A from the pipeH and water-bath B. Alternatively it may be constructed as shown on Fig.3. The plunger F can then slide for a short distance up or down the rodf and is furnished with a number of perforations or passages F F. Therod f has a fixed washer f, which when depressed onto the plunger F actsas a valve and closes the passages F. Fig. 3 illustrates the arrangementin this position. When the plunger is afterward raised,the rod ffirstpasses through the plunger,according to the play or limit provided, andwhen the fastoning nut or shoulder reaches the base of the plunger thelatter is drawn upward, together with the rod f.

A draw-off tap may also be provided'in the upper portion of thewater-tank B in such.

position that the impurities which rise to the surface of the water canbe drawn off through this tap.

I wish here to remark that the length of the neck or pipe H inproportion to the capacity of the hopper A has been exaggerated on thedrawings, so as to facilitate the comprehension of the working of theapparatus.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The plunger F is firstscrewed down, so as to close the neck or pipe H. Water is then admittedthrough the ball-cockinto the water-bath B to the normal level, and thealcoholic or other liquid to be treated is admitted into the hopper Athrough the cock D. For-the sake of example I will assume this liquid tobe Whisky, which it is wished to purify of its fusel-oil, 850., althoughthe same method will serve in the case of sherry or other wine, andassume that the air-cock c has been opened. When the vesselA is quitefull, the cooks D and c are closed and the plunger F is screwed back toits raised position. A certain amount of whisky will then fall intotheneck or pipe H, and the column of air in the latter will passtherefrom up through the whisky in H and A to the upper portion of thehopper A. By its ascent this air will to a certain extent agitate or atleast disturb the whisky in A and the process thus commences. Theatmospheric pressure upon the liquid in tank B will support the whiskyin the hopper A, and so long as not more than a certain quantity of airis present at the top of the hopper A the whisky will be unable to passout through the neck or pipe H. Pre cipitation of the sediment and otherimpuri ties in the whisky then commences,- and these impurities settletoward the bottom of the hopper and the pipe H. Those near the sides ofthe hopper will fall upon the inclined chutes ct a a and will bedirected toward the center or axis of the hopperA, and a certain portionof them will be delivered into and partly absorbed by the water in thebath B. After a time the plunger F is gently screwed down the centraldescent and forces the re-' maining and slowly-settling impuritiestoward and into the neck or pipe H. This forcing or depressing action ofthe plunger may be termed a scrubbing action,which it resembles. Theplunger F is allowed toremain at the top of the neck or pipe H for sometime and is then slowly and cautiously screwed upward, care being takenthat the upward suction produced by the plunger does not withdraw anyimpurities from the pipe H. By proceeding slowly this is obviated, owingto the tapered shape of the upper portion of the plunger, and to furtherguard against this undesirable result the passages F F are designed tofacilitate the upward movement of the plunger as much as possiblewithout disturbing the contents of the hopper A. It will be seen thatwhen raising the plunger illustrated in Fig. 3 the washer or shoulder fis first raised, and when the lower nut afterward carries the plungerupward the pas sages F are open and the whisky freely passes through.The dotted lines show the washer raised above the passages F. Theimpurities originally contained in the whisky will thus pass into thebath B and will remain at the top thereof-e. g., fusel-oil-or will beabsorbed by the watere. g., saccharin--or will remain suspended in thewater-- e. g., sediment-0r some of theseimpurities will sink to thebottom of the bath and will pass out through outlet K if a constant flowof water be provided. The lowering of the plunger F into the pipe H maybe repeated several times, and when it is estimated that the purifyingprocess is complete (a sample of the whisky can at any time be takenfrom the draw-0E cock h) the plunger is finally screwed down, so as toclose the neck or pipe H, and the purified whisky can be drawnoff byopening the air-cock c.

The impurities in the water-bath B can be specially drawn off andafterward treated or may be thrown away.

The hopper A can be cleaned out by means of steam or hot or cold waterwhen desired, and the cone-shaped chutes 0; a a being removable, presentno inconvenience.

Whiskies or other alcoholic liquids treated by my-process are afterwardfound to be equal such treatment removed therefrom.

As liquids which may with advantage be treated by my process I maymention, in addition to alcoholic liquids, tea, from which tannin can beremoved, medicines, oils, 850.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for purifying liquids by gravity comprising a tankadapted to contain water, a receiving-hopper connected with the tank andprovided with inverted centrallydeflecting cones formed with centralopenings and a vertically-moving plunger adapted to move through theopenings in the deflectors to accelerate the descent of impuritiesdeflected toward the center and in its lower position to close theconnection between the hopper and tank.

2. An apparatus for purifying liquids by gravity, comprising a tankadapted to contain water, a hopper having a closed upper portion abovesaid tank and a lower portion of reduced diameter entering the liquid inthe tank, a series of inverted-cone-shaped deflectors arranged withinthe hopper, each formed with a central opening, a vertically-movingpiston adapted to close the reduced lower portion of the hopper and tobe moved vertically through the openings in the deflectors, means forsupplying liquid to be purified to the upper portion of the hopper andfor withdrawing liquids from the tank.

An apparatus for purifying liquids by gravity, comprising a combinationof a tank, an automatic supply-cock for maintaining a constant level ofwater in the tank and a drawoff cock therefor, of a funnel-shaped hopperhaving its reduced lower portion entering and extending below the normalwater-level of the tank, an air-cock and a cock adapted to supply liquidto be purified in the upper portion of the tank, and a vertically-movingpiston adapted when in its lower position to close the lower portion ofthe hopper.

4. The combination with a tank and an automatic supply-cock formaintaining the constant water-level therein, a funnel-shaped hopperhaving a closed upper portion and secured above the tank with itsreduced lower portion entering and extending below the normalwater-level thereof, a series of superposed inverted deflecting-conesarranged within the hopper and each formed with a central opening ofsubstantially the same diameter as the lower portion or leg of thehopper and a vertically-moving piston of inverted conical form adaptedto be raised and lowered through the openings in the deflectors and toclose the lower portion of the hopper, said piston being provided withvertical passages and a valve adapted to close said passages when thepis ton is forced downward and to uncover and open said passages whenthe piston is raised.

5. In an apparatus for purifying liquids by gravity, the combinationwith a receivinghopper of superposed inverted centrally-defleeting coneseach formed with a central opening and a vertically-moving plungerhaving vertical passages therein, a vertical rod extending through thehopper and plunger and provided with means for raising and lowering therod and plunger said rod having a lin1- ited movement through theplunger and provided with a fixed valve limiting said movement andadapted to rest upon and close the openings in the plunger when forceddownward and to move away from and free said openings when the plungeris raised.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN THOMAS BENNETT.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. WrrrrroN, FRED (l. HARIES.

